Famous Italian design house Pininfarina is paying tribute to its former chairman, Sergio Pininfarina, who passed away last July, with a new concept car that bears his name and which it says, "renews the spirit and values" obtained under his leadership "projecting them into the future".
The Pinifarina Sergio is a barchetta-style concept study built on top of the Ferrari 458 Spider underpinnings, with both the wheelbase and the tracks remaining intact.
Placed behind the driver in a mid-rear-position, is the 458 Spider's 562hp (570PS) 4.5-liter V8 coupled to a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox that directs power to the rear axle.
To compensate for the loss of the windshield, Pininfarina's designers inserted a wing in the front bumper to improve aerodynamics, while a roll-bar with a fixed spoiler protects occupants and increases the down force on the rear axle.
Pininfarina says the body's torsion stiffness exceeds that of the original spider, thanks to the reduction in the size of the doors, which now rotate in a 45-degree angle, and due to weight savings of about 150 kg (331 pounds) over the Ferrari model.
The Italian coach-builder quotes a zero to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time of under 3.4 seconds, and a top speed of around 320km/h (199mph).
It’s worth noting that Pininfarina states that it places the Sergio "firmly in the tradition of the great Pininfarina one-offs specifically designed for "special" clients, which makes it a real car, not just a show car". What this means, is that if someone is interested, Pininfarina can build the car.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Maximum length: 4,550 mm
Maximum width: 1,940 mm
Maximum height: 1,140 mm
Boot capacity: 110 litres
Power train (from Ferrari 458 Spider): 4499cc V8; Sequential gearbox 7M + RM
Package: 2 doors, 2 seats
Chassis: original 458 Spider
Cx XS: about 5% lower than the original car
Weight: about 1280 kg
Maximum speed: ~320 km/h
0-100 km/h: less than 3.4 seconds